Iran-Contra Scandal Essay - 2291 Words

The Iran-contra scandal of the 1980’s, first brought to light in November 1986, is a complicated mess of scandal, arms dealings, hostage deals, and illegal acts (â€Å"Iran-Contra Affair† Infoplease.com). The original purpose of the arms sales was to improve United States-Iran relations (Sanders SNU.edu). However, when American hostages were taken throughout the 1980’s, members of President Reagan’s staff negotiated implicit deals with Iranian groups, which resulted in the U.S. selling arms in return for the release of hostages (Wolf PBS.org). Later, the deal was modified so that the U.S. sold arms directly to Iran at a high markup, with no guarantee of hostages being released, and the markup funding the contras in Nicaragua (â€Å"The†¦show more content†¦in 1985 that the U.S. might sell arms to Iran through Israel with the goal of releasing American hostages held in Lebanon by Iranian groups (â€Å"The Iran-Contra Report† Presidency.U CSB.edu). The arms would be used to aid Iran in their ongoing war against Iraq (â€Å"The Iran-Contra Report† Presidency.UCSB.edu). Robert McFarlane, a national security advisor who brought the suggestion to President Reagan, believed that the deal would improve U.S.-Iran relations, in addition to Lebanese relations, thus giving the U.S. needed influence in the Middle East (Wolf PBS.org). However, several advisors to Reagan questioned the legality of such an act, as both U.S. policy, prohibiting straight arms-for-hostage swaps, and the embargo on arms to Iran, the Arms Export Control Act, condemned that course of action. (â€Å"The Iran-Contra Report† Presidency.UCSB.edu). Though his advisors Caspar Weinberger (Secretary of Defense) and George Shultz (Secretary of State) opposed the sales, President Reagan listened to McFarlane (National Security Advisor) and William Casey (CIA director) and went through with the plan, but Reagan never actually signed the plan or r eported it to Congress, as required by law (â€Å"The Iran-Contra Report† Presidency.UCSB.edu). Thus, Reagan could later claim that he had no knowledge of the arms sales, as it was never formalized. Control of this operation was given to the National Security Council, which was also conducting aid operations to the contras (â€Å"The Iran-ContraShow MoreRelatedIran-Contra Scandal 1621 Words   |  7 PagesI guess that makes them contras, and so it makes me a contra too.† In 1979, a bitter war broke out in Nicaragua between the Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction, the Nicaraguan government, and the Contras, a vicious rebel group. The goal of this war was simple, overthrow the Nicaraguan government and restore freedom for all Nicaraguan citizens. It was this that caught the eye of the American government and it was not too long before the U.S began to fund the Contras. Although the United StatesRead MoreThe Iran-Contra Scandal1731 Words   |  7 PagesIntrodu ction The Iran-Contra Scandal occurred on the (insert specific dates) in the midst of the cold war. Oliver North, a member of the National Security Council of the United States, was accused of diverting money from weapon sales in Iran to support the Contras in Central America. Provide context of central America, how this was exposed, what happened to north, specific trial stuff, talk about the cold war/tensions†¦ state thesis at end of sentence, state arguments, conclude. Main ArgumentRead MoreEssay about iran contra scandal1913 Words   |  8 Pages Iran-Contra Scandal The Cold War peaked the interest of the entire globe. Each threat, policy and action that took place had ramifications far more reaching then ever imaginable. The world sat on edge because it feared its own destruction, after the introduction of nuclear warfare at the close of World War II, another World War could result in the Earth’s demise. This fear ran through the hearts and minds of citizens of both the United States and the Soviet Union, but it is the citizens elsewhereRead MoreEssay Iran-Contra Affair: The Diversion Scandal2952 Words   |  12 PagesIran-Contra Affair: The Diversion Scandal Eugene Hasenfus of Marinette, Wisconsin was captured when his cargo plane suffered damaging missile blows. Hasenfus’ outdated cargo plane was knocked from the sky as a result of Nicaraguan surface to air missiles. After notifying the office of the United States Vice-President, informants in both El Salvador and Costa Rica would scramble to assess and control a seemingly uncomplicated situation. While United States officials prepared to limit their damagesRead MoreReagan s Scandal Of The Iran Contra Scandal918 Words   |  4 Pages Reagan’s Scandal of the Iran Contra Scandal: Detecting Brave Politics and testing boundaries Question: Did President Ronald Reagan know about the decision by White House aide Oliver North and National Security Advisor John Poindexter to divert profits from sales to Iran to buy weapons for rebels? Why did President Ronald Reagan change his opinions about his knowledge of his role in the Iran Contra Scandal? Almost twenty years after the notorious Watergate scandal, the Iran Contra Affair tookRead MoreThe Iran Contra Scandal Was A Shocking And Nefarious Governmental Affair1246 Words   |  5 PagesThe Iran-Contra Scandal was a shocking and nefarious governmental affair which occurred during the executive administration of President Ronald Reagan. The affairs involved many people in the United States government and their dealings with other nations, and the congressional hearings which were held to expose the secrets and find the truth behind the scandal to determine who was involved and who would be deemed guilty of atrocious crimes (Vile). President Reagan arranged a deal with Iran, secretlyRead MoreIran-Contra Affair Essay1617 Words   |  7 PagesIran-Contra: Crossing That Line I think everyone knew we were walking a very thin line.(Owen) Not many Americans know the truth that lies behind the Iran-Contra scandals. Most would be surprised to know about the deception of our leaders. Still today, some truth of Iran-Contra lies hidden in the conscience of the people who organized it, aided it, and went through with it. It started with good intentions, but soon was corrupted. Some may argue that we must do what we can to smother the flameRead MoreIran Contra Affair Essays1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe Iran-Contra scandal had a big effect on the United States but it had a huge effect on Nicaragua. Through out 1985-86, the Reagan administration was selling weapons to Iran illegally in order to encourage Iran to free hostages in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Reagan administration wanted to support the Contras in Nicaragua, a rebel group fighting to overthrow the Sandinista government. The administration decided to use the money made from selling arms to Iran, a nd had it sent to the Contras withoutRead MoreTo What Extent was President Reagan’s Personal Role in the Iran-Contra Affair Significant?1831 Words   |  8 Pagesextent of significance of President Reagan’s role in the Iran-Contra affair in the 1980’s. Reagan’s role will be looked at while aiding the Nicaraguan Contras, releasing American hostages, both which led to the Iran-Contra affair, and during the cover up, in America and partly in Iran. An investigation account and American history are mostly used to evaluate Reagan’s role. Two of the sources used in this essay, Firewall: The Iran-Contra conspiracy and cover-up written by Lawrence E. Walsh and TheRead MoreEssay On Iran889 Words   |  4 PagesWhat would soon happen would alter the image of the president forever. Who would ever think â€Å"Contra† and â€Å"Iran† would be in the same sentence. In 1985, Iran contacted the United States and secretly asked them for a weapons deal. Iran was currently at war with Iraq. Robert McFarlane, asked President Reagan for approval, as congress had put an embargo against Iran. McFarlane showed that relations between both countries would not only improve, but would also increase influence in the middle east. This